Is Ivan Herrera who we thought Nolan Gorman would be?

Ivan Herrera just turned 25 at the start of June. Herrera has just over a year of MLB service time, yet I am ready to call him a certified stud already. 

The Cardinals backstop has done nothing but hit at the Major League level. Throughout the 2024 season in 72 games Herrera posted a .301/.372/.428 slash line which was good for a 124 OPS+. 

Through only 41 games in 2025 he has bested his home run and RBI total from the previous year with 8 bombs and 36 runs driven in compared to just 5 and 27 the season before. The point to throwing these stats at you? The guy flat out rakes.

Nolan Gorman was a first round pick out of high school in 2018. He, like Herrera, is just barely above 25. The difference between the two is expectations that come with being a first round selection for Nolan, as well as, the fact that he has played 200 more games than Ivan to this point in their respective careers. 

Gorman had a phenomenal sophomore campaign with 27 bombs in 2023. Unfortunately, outside of that season Gorman has never posted an OPS of .800 or above. Don’t get me wrong, I am still much higher on Gorman than most. I still see a young player with 30-40 home run potential. But with all the hype Gorman received as a prospect over the years, even I can’t deny his career has been disappointing so far. 

You could see the seemingly “one hit wonder” season Gorman had in 2023 and predict the same fall off for Ivan Herrera. But I believe the Panama products success is sustainable and still has room to grow. 

Gorman was always, and always will be a streaky hitter. You can find the same stretches in the minor leagues where he would be unstoppable one month and abysmal the next. You can afford to let a top prospect minor leaguer work through the ups and downs like that. In “The Show” every game matters and there is less patience for rough streaks. 

Ivan Herrera has been consistently good to elite at the plate for at least a stretch of 114 games now. I am not worried about extended cold streaks. The kid has work to do behind the plate as a defender, and maybe profiles as a full time DH long term. I am 100 percent ok with that if he reaches the potential he has shown in his first 2 seasons in the big leagues.

Who is your favorite rising star in baseball? Maybe a breakout guy you didn’t see coming like Herrera. On the other hand, who is a guy you thought would be an all star and just hasn’t panned out? Get involved with the conversation on all the Club 303 Podcast platforms.